Built to Last is an incredibly sweet romance that deftly blends elements of the childhood friends to lovers and second-chance romance tropes. Former child star Shelby Springfield left Hollywood a decade ago after a terrible public breakup with one of her former co-stars and a subsequent meltdown. Since then she's gotten sober, started a lucrative business as a furniture restorer working alongside her house-flipper dad, and built a nice little life for herself... and then Hollywood comes knocking on her door, in the form of a home reno reality TV pilot gig. The hitch? Her ex is the showrunner... and her co-host is another former co-star, the one who got away. Can Shelby navigate her way through this without losing herself... or blowing her second chance?

I love that these characters had weight and substance, real problems and flaws along with their many charms. Supporting cast featured equally real-feeling characters, and I'm looking forward to reading their love stories someday soon too!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Since it's been, oh, a few years since I've reviewed a book I'll probably make this one short and sweet. Hey! Kind of like this book! I first read Erin Hahn's work with "You'd Be Mine", a sweet little YA that I loved. I figured this book would follow the same formula when I requested it and I was pretty much right.

Shelby and Cameron are childhood sweethearts that have strayed away from each other. Cameron chose a path that was basically him running away from his fame and the love of his life. Shelby lived the celebrity scene until her boyfriend cheated on her and her life kind of fell apart.

They are brought back together by Lyle, the cheating ex, to start in a television show together. There is definitely chemistry between the two of them and since the story is told in alternating POVs there isn't really a "do they or don't they" mystery here.

The banter is cute and the side characters were some of my favorites. Friends who root for you are the best and these guys have some good friends. Lyle caused some unnecessary drama for the sake of "the show" but it was as expected. For characters in their late 20s he seemed very immature. Or maybe I'm just really old now.

I liked Shelby's growth a lot and felt that Cameron got off kind of easy. He left her when she needed him and, while I know it wasn't an ideal situation, everyone just forgave him like the Prodigal Son.

This was a really sweet story with a super sappy ending for all. It took me a bit to realize that the chapter titles were all songs and that irked me a bit. The book wasn't "music" themed so it didn't make sense and felt a little "2010 Twilight Fanfic" to me. Trust me, I would know.

Still, check this one out if you're looking for something cute and fluffy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

*First, I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

There were so many tropes in this book that I am a sucker for, and I believe many of them were utilised well. Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs are child stars and childhood sweethearts who have grown apart since the ending of their hit show. Shelby was also involved with their costar Lyle Jessup. The three young adults have a tumultuous past and go their separate ways in their early twenties.

The main plot point is that Cameron and Shelby, who both love the other, are teaming up to do a home renovation show, produced by Lyle. I read somewhere that Lyle was doing this as a way to get his friends together, but throughout the book, he and his wife (who has a huge part in the story too) were just plain nasty. There was no playfulness with his actions, only malice. Even then, I enjoyed Cameron and Shelby's love story and believed the strength of first love.

This is Erin Hahn's debut in adult fiction, and I think she's done a great job. I like the prose and most of the characters and their journeys.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re a fan of Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren (specifically the childhood friends to enemies to lovers) or You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (celebrities with a hidden relationship while filming), this book is for you!

I loved this book. The dynamic between Shelby and Cameron was amazing. They both stood up for each other and held each other up when needed. The ending chapter was adorable and I loved the epilogue. I especially loved the character growth throughout.

The fact that there was no third act breakup was amazing! There was still drama but I didn’t have to worry about miscommunication. Plus, the spice was spicy!

I recommend this book and I hope everyone joins me in checking it out when it’s released

A sweet/cute second chance love story. The characters felt real and gotta love some home renovations!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Shelby and Cameron. They are both child stars. They have known each other all their lives. They each have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Love me some good character growth. I appreciated that the characters looked at their own flaws and worked to improve in those areas. I also liked how this story shows the value of timing within relationships. The characters were fun without being overly quirky. The drawbacks for me were that the pacing felt slow through the beginning and I had a harder time following the time jumps, especially at first. The rather, um, intimate scenes were too graphic for me personally so I ended up skipping over those pages. I also wasn't a huge fan of switching perspectives each chapter, but the chapter titles were a fun touch! Overall a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC for my honest review.

What a fun book! And it's got some of my favorite tropes: home renovation, childhood friends/crushes, second chance. And there's a good amount of enjoyable, fully fleshed-out side characters! Such a tender and sweet love story with some truly funny moments. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @erinhahn_author for the eARC of this book in exchange of my unbiased opinion.

You guys, I devoured this book. This one is most definitely a must read for this year! I’m honestly not usually one to love second chance romances, but this one had me changing my tune.

Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs were child stars on the same sitcom, and first loves. Cameron has always been the one who got away for Shelby. And she is the one person that he would drop absolutely everything for. So when another co-star, and another ex for Shelby, brings them together for a home renovations show after years out of the spotlight - neither can refuse.

The banter in this book alone was pure perfection. I was consistently laughing out loud. Put that with the sizzle-worthy chemistry between our leads and you’ve got a book you won’t want to put down!

This one gets 5⭐️‘s from me!

This book centers around one of my favorite romance tropes, the second chance and I've loved Erin Hahn's YA books, so I jumped at the chance to get an early copy of this one. She does not disappoint! Filled with the wit and charm I've come to expect from Hahn, with the added bonus of adult characters and a bit of steam. I loved that the main characters, Shelby and Cameron, both grew as characters both together and apart, and that the main conflict didn't involve a ton of drama between them, but came from the "outside" as it were. It is a lovely romance and I'm already chomping at the bit for more adult novels from Hahn (maybe about Lorelai and/or Maren? A girl can hope!).

Release date: October 18, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the early copy!

. This is a believable romance or rekindled romance about former child actors reconnecting to do an HGTV home type show and who also happened to be former childhood sweethearts. The romance is believable with decent chemistry and solid tension. It is a slow burn that captures you before you realize it.
Overall, it is a well written, gentle love story. The characters were great and very relatable. The second chance love story was sweet. and heartwarming. After all, who doesn't love second chances and destiny?

Such a sweet story about two kid actors who were each others first love and are brought back together after leaving Hollywood to rehab an old house as a new reality show. Great characters and a nice romance. Really enjoyable.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

Erin Han strikes again with a cozy Michigan love story. Shortly after I graduated from U of M, I received a free physical ARC of Erin Hahn's previous book, More Than Maybe, from the publisher. That book centers around two high schoolers in Ann Arbor, Michigan, so the story held a special place in my heart. *stares longingly at the copy on my bookshelf*

Sure enough, this adult contemporary features locations around Grand Rapids and in the UP and centers around several child actors, in a way that reminded me of Birds of California by Katie Cotugno. I enjoyed that the characters settled into a rhythm of good communication relatively early on in the story, which is something I scout out in the romance genre. I also enjoyed that the characters faced conflicts as a joint unit. And what can I say, the side characters were enjoyable as well. Overall, there was a lot to enjoy. If you're a frequent watcher of HGTV and a lover of romance, you should not hesitate to pick this up.

Besides some minor Cringe(tm) moments I did not particularly care for, my biggest ick was the rustic small town feel of the book. I don't enjoy small town romances, as a big city gal who feels stifled in those settings. I recognize this as a matter of personal preference.

I was excited to hear that Erin Hahn was making her adult romance debut with Built to Last, and it was the perfect contemporary romance to read while traveling. I was introduced to Erin’s writing through one of her young adult novels. I enjoyed that book, but Built to Last really hit the spot for me.

We’re introduced to Shelby and Cameron, two childhood TV stars that went in different directions after their show wrapped. While Shelby continued with Hollywood until a messy, public break up, Cameron left the industry behind in favor of attending college and starting his own career as a documentary filmmaker. When their former costar (and Shelby’s ex) bring them together with the offer to film a pilot for a home renovation show, building off of Shelby’s post-Hollywood career in furniture restoration and house flipping that she shares with her father, they have to decide what they want and whether it’s finally time to face the feelings and chemistry between them.

This is childhood friends/childhood first love to lovers, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Their quiet romance from their teenage years was sweet, and the chemistry between Shelby and Cameron was just as explosive as adults. I’d consider this a slow burn (and boy, do they slow burn for a while), but it doesn’t feel as rushed due to the long history between the characters and the glimpses of their pasts. The secondary cast of characters, including Shelby’s two best friends, Cameron’s college roommate and his wife, and their closest family members were highlights of the story for me.

I couldn’t put this down. I don’t know if this was just the perfect book for the perfect time, but I sailed through this story, and I would have happily read this one in one sitting if life hadn’t gotten in the way. There is some steam, which was perfectly placed and well done. If you’re a fan of HGTV renovation shows or have done home renovations yourself, this could be a great romance read for you.

I can’t wait to read the next two books in this series, with one book focusing on each of Shelby’s best friends as the main character. I loved them as side characters, so I’m excited to see where their stories leave (and hopefully get more glimpses of Shelby and Cameron).

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A sweet, second chance love story. The characters were realistically written and the story was sweet without being saccharine.

THis was such a cute book a very fun and flirty read. I also loved how it mixed in my love for home renovations. It would be like if some of the kids from Barney got back together, fell in love and made a realty home reno show. I laughed out loud several times too! A really sweet and good summer read!

Ever since Erin Hahn debuted her YA romance a few years back, I have desperately been in need of an adult romance from her. Luckily she granted my wish, AND I got to read it early! Just as I expected, this was such a lovely romance: the second chance trope always gets me right in my feels. I did get a little frustrated with some of the outside plot, which is why I docked it a star, but I seriously think this is going to be a smashing success. Keep the adult romcoms coming, Erin! I’ll read every single one.

i LOVED this story!!! It gave me romcom meets hgtv in all of the best ways. The story hooks you from the beginning and has you routing for the characters throughout. Second chance romances always pull at my heart strings and this one did not disappoint!

This was a delightful, fun read. My primary criteria for any book is that it just tell me a good story, and this one surely did. The plot focuses on a second chance romance with child actors who experience the problems attendant to that life, and who grow up and grow into appealing characters. The story contains a number of expected characters - horrid stage mother, cheating ex,, and back stabbing former best friend. But it also has a parent who is refreshingly normal, and a cast of friends of the primary characters that are well drawn, and let’s face it, just hanging out waiting for their own stories. But not in an annoying way.

This book was not heavy or deep. It will not haunt you, or probably take up much space in the book section of your brain. But sometimes you just want to read a good, entertaining story,' and this is that.

4.5 Stars!!! This book was excellent! I couldn’t wait to finish it, but wanted to savor it.

Shelby Springfield is a former child-actor who is now living a quiet life in rural Michigan after her life crashed and burned in Hollywood. Now, 5 years later her ex throws an opportunity her way for a new home renovation realty show…the catch? He wants her to do it with her first love…the third of their childhood trio.

Cameron Riggs walked away from Hollywood and into nature, traveling for Nat Geo and creating documentaries behind the camera. He’s never renovated a house before…and he’s also never gotten over Shelby, his first love. A new challenge and a second chance take him back to his home state.

I really loved the way that Shelby and Cameron reconnected. They had amazing communication and the relationship built slowly and realistically. This was such a great book! Thanks to Netgalley for a chance to read this before it releases.